


Unexpected Romance

by StubbornBeast



Series: Prompt Fill Dump [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Accountant Gabriel, Adopted dad, All Novaks, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bartender Dean Winchester, Brief Cas/Sam, Chuck is their dad, Destiel - Freeform, Gabriel and Castiel are brothers, Grad Student Sam, Investor Gabriel, Just some fluff here, M/M, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Prompt Fill, Romatic mixup, Roommates, Sabriel - Freeform, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tumblr Prompt, Uncle Bobby is Dad Winchester, and MIchael too, everyone is human, grad student cas, less than 5k words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 01:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14368071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StubbornBeast/pseuds/StubbornBeast
Summary: A Tumblr prompt request by goddess-of-the-nerds. Thanks for my first one, ever! <3Prompt:soulmate AU where you know the last name of your soulmate.sam's is 'novak' and cas' is 'winchester'they become collage roommates and things are awkward as fuck because tbh they feel nothing for each other in that way at all. the feelings cas is developing to sam are more friendly than romantic.then they meet the other's brother





	Unexpected Romance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [goddess_of_the_nerds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddess_of_the_nerds/gifts).



> I may have gotten a bit carried away, but I hope you enjoy and that it fits the bill! 
> 
> My [ask box](https://stubborn-beast.tumblr.com/ask) is always open. Come say hi!
> 
> xo.

* * *

"So you decided to go the roommate route this time 'round?" 

"Yes, Dean. It's cheaper and -" 

" - can allow you to save money for after graduation, yes, I know. You've told me." 

"Then why ask over and over?" 

Sam smirked triumphantly, phone precariously balanced on his shoulder as he dropped a box onto his bare bed. He could hear the huff of frustration from the other end of the line and held back a chuckle. 

"Shut up, bitch." 

His smirk formed into a scowl. 

"Jerk." 

That got Dean laughing on the other end before he mumbled out a curse and some words about having to get back to work, sorry he couldn't help Sam move this time, the typical big brother jabber. A few hums and a goodbye later, Sam was tossing the phone onto the small bedside table and glancing around his room, hands on his hips. 

The graduate housing provided by Wichita State was humble, at best. Simple mattresses and basic appliances, the small duplex had split bedrooms with their own bathrooms on either side of the building. It was better than trying to find an apartment in the city and had virtually no commute if he felt like running or biking to his classes. It felt bare bones now, but he was certain that it would be home in no time. 

He began to hum as he started unpacking his many boxes, first pulling out sheets and a blanket for his simple bed – one that he eyed skeptically, sure it wouldn't be long enough for him. Once the bed was mostly made, he began to put his school-related supplies onto the provided desk in the corner of the room. He'd worry about his clothes later, he decided as he eyed the many boxes in front of the closet with trepidation. That would take so much time. 

Slowly, he was in the process of unpacking when he heard the _click_ and shifting of the front door opening, followed by a gravelly tone. 

"Hello?" 

Sam straightened up and walked out of his room and down the short hall to the shared kitchen and living space. He waved a hand in greeting at the figure standing in his door, who he supposed was his new roommate. 

"You must me by roommate. I'm Sam, Sam Winchester." 

The tall man put on a gummy smile and held out a hand, though his greeting's warmth was soon doused at the strange look on the other man's face. Sam couldn't quite figure out what it was: bright blue eyes stared at him, chapped lips parted slightly, and dark eyebrows lifted into a bird's nest of equally dark hair. He looked... surprised? Stunned? Sam couldn't quite figure out why, either. 

"Winchester? That's... That's your last name?" 

Sam began to feel discomfort coiling in his lower abdomen. He slowly nodded, his hand dropping back to his side as he looked at this stranger with tentative curiosity. 

"Yes? Why...? What's – what's yours?" 

"I'm Castiel Novak." 

The stunned look on Castiel's face was now easily echoed onto Sam's own features as silence spread around them.

* * *

It shows up at the age of twenty-one: a dark name imprinted on the inside of the left ring finger. Inky and dark, it was the last name of someone's perfect match, of someone's soulmate. The notion used to be a rather romantic one, but that had fallen away with the more modern times. Nowadays, people just went about their lives and their business instead of scouring states and countries to find the human that matched their mark. The stories of tragedy and unfortunate circumstance tended to outweigh the others, so many people had grown accustomed to just ignoring their marks when the materialized on their twenty-first birthday. 

Sam was one of those people. 

He wasn't privy to the idea of the universe setting him up with someone so permanent. He may have been a hopeless romantic at first, but his experiences early in life showed that it wasn't necessarily the best match after all. It'd hardened him to the idea; his life wasn't going to be put on hold because he found the man or woman who had the last name of 'Novak' and was his supposed soulmate. 

From the look on his roommate's face and the awkwardness that followed, he suspected that Castiel felt the same way about the dark 'Winchester' on the inside of his finger. 

The two had unpacked that day in silence, working through their belongings and just trying to get settled in. Classes started two days later on Monday, and they had spent the weekend avoiding one another. Almost an entire week passed before Sam finally encountered Castiel sitting at the rickety dining room table that was almost too large for their small kitchen space, his head in his hands. 

Sam approached the table slowly, setting his bag down on the floor before speaking: 

"Cas? You alright?" 

"No, Sam, I'm not." 

Sam thought he might be used to the frank nature with which Castiel spoke, but it still caught him a bit by surprise. He had lived with Dean for years, after all, so the addressing of emotions wasn't something he was used to. 

"What's wrong? Is there something I can... do to help?" 

His words were unsure as he took a seat across from Cas, watching him carefully. They didn't know much about each other, but Sam didn't want to leave the poor guy hanging. He watched as Castiel scrubbed his hands over his face and sat back, locking Sam's hazel eyes with his own, piercing blue ones. 

"We need to address this elephant in the room." 

Sam shifted uncomfortably in his seat, knowing exactly what Castiel was talking about but truly not wanting to address it. He supposed that trait ran in the family. 

"Yeah... I guess we should." 

Castiel stood up from his seat and began to pace in the kitchen, his bare feet making soft sounds against the tile floor. As he paced, he seemed to be planning out his words and that gave time for Sam to look him over. Always observant, Sam had noticed little things about Castiel in their time spent living together, even as minimal as it had been so far. He knew that Cas was getting his Master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, for example. He also knew that Castiel only spoke in grumbled syllables until his coffee maker had given him at least two mugs of completely black coffee. His hair was unruly no matter what he tried to do with it, and he was a fairly clean person with the exception of his clothes. It looked like he never bothered to fold or put his clothes away once they'd been cleaned, his outfits typically sporting wrinkles whenever he left their small duplex. 

"I'm not sure how you feel about our marks, but I was raised to think that the person who would fit my mark would be an instant attraction." 

Well that... was surprising. Sam knew his face betrayed him as it caused Cas to stop in his pacing and tip his head to the side in a look of curiosity. 

"Is that surprising?" 

"Well, yeah. You seemed a bit more clinical than that, I guess. I didn't think the marks would hold much symbolic nature to you." 

Castiel's features softened slightly as he wrung his hands together, swallowing carefully and shifting on his feet. For a man who was supposed to be getting his Master's in communication, he certainly seemed to be at a loss for words. 

"I've actually held onto the romance of it all since I was young. I suppose it was foolish, and many times I reflected on that fact, but I always held out hope. I didn't allow it to deter my studies or my focus while in undergrad, and even when it appeared on my birthday... I refrained from trying to look up the last name on the internet." 

A smile cracked Sam's visage; many other people had tried to search for their soulmate online when the internet had become more widespread, more popular. It had seemed like a good idea, at the time, until people seemed to realize just how many others out there might share that same last name as their soulmate. There had been the odd case of strangers taking advantage of poor, romantic souls, too. The idea of using the internet had died almost as swiftly as it had risen with the tides of hope. 

"My parents had success with finding their soulmates shortly after they turned twenty-one. My father is an author and always had a way with words. I used to read his accounts and stories of those instances – those romantic scenarios – whenever I could. It kept that hope burning inside me that I'd find my soulmate one day and feel that connection... that instantaneous response." 

The pregnant pause in the air was thick with tension as Castiel's eyes flicked from Sam's face down to the floor, a frown creasing his features once more. It took a moment before Sam realized why he had paused and what that had meant. 

"... and meeting me wasn't that kind of response." 

Immediately, Castiel's head shot up and his eyes widened, as if he hadn't expected Sam to catch on. He opened his mouth, probably to say something to appease Sam in hopes that he hadn't hurt his feelings, but Sam stopped him by raising a hand from the table. 

"Cas, it's okay. The whole soulmates phenomena has never been my focus, and the romance was kind of lost on me at a young age. I never expected to feel those sensations, though I'm sorry that... well, that you didn't have an instant connection with me. Did you consider that maybe the connection needs time to blossom?" 

The look on the other man's face suggested that it had passed through his mind a time or two, at least. If Sam could guess, those times had been during the past week or so. 

"Look – we're both logical men. Let's give it a shot and see if, well, if it turns into anything more? And if not... we can take it from there?" 

Castiel seemed to mull it over for a moment, but as a smile grew on his features, Sam knew that he'd diffused a bit of the tension around them. 

"Okay."

* * *

Life changed slightly for the two men as they began to talk more, ease into a tentative friendship that had expectations of growing into something more. Sam learned that Castiel ran in the mornings during sunrise, so they both began to run together. Castiel learned that Sam preferred to eat organic fruits and vegetables, so they both went to the farmer's market together when they got the chance. The more time they spent together, the more they learned about each other. 

Castiel was the first one to suggest they go on a date. 

"Dinner and a movie? Well, Cas, if I knew any better I'd say you were asking me out." 

The words were teasing, but they caused a blush to creep onto Castiel's features. Sam stiffened with the realization that Castiel _wasn't_ suggesting a trip to a sandwich place and then a movie after to try and escape their studying for exams. The stiffness faded away as Sam put on a soft smile, approaching Castiel as he stood awkwardly in the kitchen, his hands limp at his sides. 

"That's what you were doing, wasn't it?" 

"Was I not obvious enough?" 

Sam laughed and shook his head, patting Cas on the shoulder. The awkwardness lingered, but a majority of it passed and both men laughed about the incident before agreeing to give it a try. They changed out of their current outfits and dressed in something a little nicer. Sam had to admit that Castiel was a handsome man; he couldn't deny that if he tried. He had a runner's figure and wild hair, those eyes were a different color entirely and he could have earned money on the side as a phone-sex operator. Guilt pooled in his stomach as they both hopped in Castiel's old Continental and headed to town. 

Castiel was handsome, that was certain, but it was hard for Sam to think of him as anything more than a friend. He tried to tamp down the thoughts and not let it ruin an opportunity they hadn't even given a chance yet. 

The dinner was great, though it lacked any kind of special feeling that might be associated with a meal outside of a typical fast-food stop or even a dinner cooked in their own kitchen. The movie was also great, but neither man had ever made a move to hold hands or even sit relatively close, arm rest always between them. At the end of the night, moon high in the sky, they headed back to their place and made their way inside. 

"I still don't understand why the camera pans to women's backsides in moments that could clearly go without." 

Sam chuckled at Castiel's passionate commentary that had begun the moment they'd gotten into the car. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the small hooks they had put near the door. He turned and looked to Castiel, who was doing the same with his bulky trench coat, watching the man frown as he rambled. 

"It's unnecessary and quite inappropriate. There was no need to focus on it when there was clearly more plot-based activity happening during the scene." 

"You're right, Cas." 

A smile formed on both of their mouths as they chuckled, something akin to tension coming back into the air. It was just simmering around the edges as their laughter died and silent filled the space. Sam looked down at Castiel for a moment and was surprised as the man watched him, his features shifting to something that mirrored determination. He was even more surprised when Castiel stepped up into his personal space and planted a kiss on his lips. 

Immediately, Sam responded, but they slowly pulled apart after a few seconds. 

"Well that was -" 

Cas spoke, his tone hushed, searching for a word to fill the gap. 

" - something," Sam supplied. 

"You didn't feel anything, either?" 

"Nope. Not a thing." 

What would have been an awkward silence for anyone else fell into relieved laughter. It seemed that both men had come to an unspoken understanding: they weren't going to try and force something that obviously wasn't there.

* * *

"Cas, you still thinking about joining me for Thanksgiving?" 

Sam called to his roommate from his bedroom, his bag starting to get full as he tossed some clothes for his short trip into it. He mentally went through the checklist in his head as he tossed more items in, listening for the response from across the room. 

"If that's alright? It'd be silly for me to try and travel so far to see my family on the coast." 

"Yeah, it's definitely alright. I've got gas money for you." 

It worked out well: Sam didn't have a ride back to Sioux Falls for Thanksgiving break. Cas had a car but couldn't make a long drive just for a few days to see his family for a holiday they hardly celebrated. It seemed like the right thing to do, so Sam asked Castiel if he wanted to celebrate with his small family for a few days if he could drive them there. He had been surprised that Cas had agreed so quickly, though in his typical nature he had tried to get reassurance about the decision a few times since making it. It was a reassurance Sam was happy to give his friend. 

The ride was easy, for the most part. The two men had grown closer over the months they'd lived together and Sam considered Cas to be one of his closest friends. They'd learned about their lives and helped one another with classes they had shared. They found it easy to live with one another and considered each other lucky to have an understanding roommate. 

So, conversation was easy for the first six hours of the journey. It was the last hour that the Continental made a clunking sound and jerked suddenly that had both men on edge and cursing. 

"Blown tire, man. Got your spare in the back? I can put it on really fast and it should get us to Sioux Falls." 

"Yeah, it's in the trunk." 

Sam made quick work of the tire as Castiel stood to the side, observing. He had expressed early on that he wasn't very handy, and a broken coffee pot and radio had solidified that statement for Sam within the first month of them living together. 

"How did you learn these skills?" 

"My brother, Dean. He's a mechanic for our uncle in Sioux Falls and works part time as a bartender for a friend's place. As soon as I could understand and had enough strength, he showed me how to do basic maintenance on cars." 

"You're lucky to have a brother like that. My older brother Michael shipped off to the military when I was young, and the other older brother Gabriel is about as handy as I am." 

"Your dad not handy, either?" 

"Let's just say my mom could probably figure out how to change a tire better than he could." 

They were both laughing as they climbed back into the car and headed the last hour to Sioux Falls.

* * *

"Yeah. I'm coming straight to the shop. No – I know, but Cas needs a new tire. Yeah it blew an hour out. No, I fixed it!" 

Castiel found himself chuckling at the exasperated tone Sam used whenever he discussed topics with his brother, Dean. It was laced with affection each time and he always found it both amusing and endearing. They entered the city limits of Sioux Falls and Sam hung up with his typical 'Jerk' response to his brother before directing Castiel to the mechanic shop... well, at least, what he assumed as a mechanic shop. 

"This is it?" 

"It's also a scrap yard. Don't judge, Cas." 

He grumbled something and Sam laughed as they emerged from the Continental and walked towards the only small building on the property. Walking in, both men caught the scents of motor oil and cleaning solution as a tiny bell chimed their entrance. 

"Bobby? You in here?" 

"Sam? What in the hell are you doing here?" 

An older, gruff-looking man emerged from the small office behind the counter, no smile on his face because it was there in his eyes. 

"Cas' tire blew on the way in, so I called Dean to get a replacement. Bobby, this is Castiel, my roommate at school. He's joining us for the break. Castiel, this is my uncle Bobby." 

"Nice to meet you, son." 

"Pleasure is mine." 

They exchanged pleasantries briefly before a small _crash_ sound was heard from the office and Bobby cursed. 

"The hell you breakin' in there?!" 

"Apologies, Bobby my man! You need to work on your organization skills!" 

Sam looked towards the door curiously as Bobby began to explain, completely unaware of the changing in Castiel's body language beside him. 

"Who's that, Bobby?" 

"Oh. Some guy who's helping with the numbers and supposedly investing in this old place." 

Sam was stunned for a moment, surprised, before he saw a short man emerge from the room with a bounce in his step. It was a moment after that as the door to the garage opened and Dean came through, wiping his hands on a rag. 

"Bobby, tell Gabe that his nugget can suck a -" 

"Dean." 

The man scowled as he lifted his gaze towards his uncle, the chastising tone causing him to pause as he caught eyes with the shorter man before flicking his eyes towards his brother and Castiel. 

"Sammy! Bobby, why didn’t you say Sammy was here?" 

"I was goin' to, but -" 

He got interrupted by Dean walking over and pulling Sam into a hug, squeezing tightly. He stepped back for a moment before letting his green eyes fall onto Castiel, who gave him a half-smile, tired from the drive. Dean finished wiping his hands and held one out, hard and calloused. 

"You must be Castiel. I'm Dean, Sam's brother." 

A nod was all Cas got in edgewise as he shook Dean's hands, a few things happening at once that caused chaos in the small room. 

Cas could have sworn that sparks shot up his skin as his hand came into contact with Dean's, who seemed to have the same stunned look on his face as he stared down at their clasped hands. 

Gabriel had come around the counter, "Cassie?" On his lips before he had paused mid-step in getting his first real look at Sam. 

Sam had made eye contact with Gabriel and was also stalled, his mouth slightly agape as his heart roared to life in his chest. 

Bobby was the only one with some wits about him, smacking a hand down on the table that caused the other four men to jump. 

"The hell's come over all of you? Can we please get some work done so we can get home?" 

He left the room and headed into the garage, mumbling something about 'idjits' loud enough for them to hear, before the other men got spurred back to life. 

Dean, who hadn't removed his hand from Castiel's, blushed thoroughly and cleared his throat. 

"Uh, well, let's... let's take a look at that tire, huh?" 

Castiel could only nod dumbly, letting Dean lead him out the door with their hands still clasped, like neither one could let the other go. As they walked to the car, Castiel was pulled to the sound of Dean's voice quietly speaking to him, his tone hushed and almost reverent. 

"... Novak?" 

Castiel looked down at the hand holding his, catching a glimpse of a hard-worn last name that matched his own. He answered with a gummy smile. 

Back in the office, Gabriel approached Sam and let out a low whistle, his eyes crinkling with his smile. 

"Mmm. Sam, was it? Mind if I call you Samsquatch? Gotta have a nickname with a height like that." 

Sam just noticed the sucker stick hanging out of the corner of Gabe's mouth. It made his own twitch up into a smile. 

"Only if I get a nickname for you." 

The flirtatious nature of his words wasn't lost on either of them. 

A bit of seriousness and trepidation filled Gabriel's features as he stepped close and held out his hand, showing the top of it and cocking his left ring finger up. Sam glanced down and saw the name 'Winchester' inked there, clear as day. 

Hope blossomed in Sam's chest for the first time in a long time as he mirrored Gabriel's motion, revealing the 'Novak' on his finger and drawing a shocked gasp from the man standing so close to him. 

"Gabriel Novak, at your service, Samsquatch. And you can call me whatever you want." 

They shook hands and it was warm, inviting... like coming home.


End file.
